Since the release of the Gone In 60 Seconds remake, Mustang fastbacks have been showing up in increasing numbers on auction sites as either Shelby or Eleanor tributes. However, very few display the interesting flip front modification of this one. Located in Adolphus, Kentucky and listed here on eBay with a no reserve auction, the bidding has been fairly active with 31 bids reaching $15,300 and 5 days to go at the time of writing.
It is unusual to find a tribute or clone project up for sale before completion. Most of these types of projects tend to be high dollar conversions where price is no object and the end justifies the means. This frame of mind ultimately gets the project finished but ends up way over budget. In this case, it looks like the project was started years ago on a limited budget. Shelby conversion parts were obtained, fabrication was started, but the project was never fully completed and just stored. The present seller has just obtained the car and is unsure of its past history. The quality of the work seems to range from intricate metal fabrication to daily driver level of repair just to get the car on the road. Although a lot of effort was placed on the custom interior work, some of the work did not stand the test of time and quite frankly does not seem to work together as unit.
The real story of this car is the flip front end. It seems like this may have been a stalling point. A fair bit of fabrication was done to achieve the flip front as an entire unit but is then secured with a rubber strap when opened. It is unfair for me to critique this work as it beyond my fabrication skills. However if the original fabricator had come this far, it seems just another small obstacle to overcome.
The car doesn’t start, and many Barn Finds readers they would agree this should have been the easiest aspect of the project. The aged aftermarket Accel air cleaner, wires, and Moroso valve covers date this a late 80’s perhaps early 90’s project. A coil would have definitely helped it start easier!! The car originally came with a 302 and this could still be the original engine, although the GM alternator definitely isn’t.
Overall the car is solid and the paint looked to be reasonable when it was applied years ago, but little things like paint over the door striker questions the amount paint prep done. It looks like a project that has been stored in not so favorable conditions for a length of time. There are a lot of reproduction pieces now available on aftermarket which may not have been available when this project was started. A real Shelby could have been used as a donor. It will be interesting to see where this ends up.
Inspection strongly indicated here!
Looks pretty nice wet and outside. But dry and inside, the paint, etc…
The seller needs a proofreader. I did a double-take, then laughed here: “For serious injuries…” (followed by a coded phone number) LOL!
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This is nearby and I looked at it a few weeks ago. All I can say is ….”DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!” Interesting how the seller owns a fully equipped auto shop, but at the time (supposedly) had made no attempt to start it. On the day I was there, the Mustang next to it in primer looked more promising.
The car shown is a 1967 because all 1968’s have side marker lights front and rear. 1967 looks better imo.
Stop with the Eleanor stuff already! The REAL Eleanor is 72’/73′ Body style. And the REAL Gone in Sixty Seconds is the better of the Two. Change that Mustang in the Remake into a Flaming Motorcycle(Cage/Ghost Rider). No-one would know the difference!
Can’t say that about the Original Gone In 60 Seconds. Can You.
Any Eleanor Mustang would be an embarrassment, especially one related to the second movie. The first movie has been forgotten over time and the Eleanor from the remake is played out.
Steve R
This here isn’t nothing but someone painting a $99 Earl Shy job like a dude i knew wouldn’t mask off anything just shoot some paint😁 like on some street stock dirt stock car..
Totally agree.
I was fortunate enough to get a tour of a restoration shop recently and they had a “Eleanor” style Mustang in the shop that they were working on for a client. I mentioned something to the effect of Steve R’s comment above and the owner basically agreed he was tired of that look too.
Sigh, I get so tired of people referring to or naming cars after movie cars.
I’ve seen enough late 50’s Plymouth 2 drs named ‘Christine’ that I could puke.
And just to clarify, it was ‘Earl Scheib’ painting.
A Buck $2.97 for this purple lav that needs alot of work. Goes to show you some dufus doesn’t know what they were doing..
Always liked those vents behind the door
One hi one low.
As for the flip front.looks cool hopefully
It was done right and is rigid.
I wouldn’t buy a car like that.
Fall’s in the same category as chopped
Or lowered.
Chevrolet alternator.No problem.Somebody wanted a one wire alternator.